New Beer Weekend #48

My second beer today is my second American wheat beer not from the Midwest. This beer stands as the #3 Kristallweizen on this site.

Sixpoint Apollo Summer Wheat
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 13



Poured from Sixpoint's tall, skinny 12 ounce can into a weizen glass. I did a fairly vigorous pour, since 12 ounces won't come close to filling this glass.

Crystal clear golden amber, nicely carbonated with tiny bubbles rising to the tall, white, thick head with excellent retention.

The smell is bubblegum front and center along with a peppery spice.

The taste is a bit odd; not necessarily in a bad way, just hard to describe. Bubblegum that has started to lose its flavor? That doesn't quite get it. Maybe a little indistinct fruit. A little of the spice as well. Semi-sweet. No bitterness. No crispness, which I might have expected from a beer named "summer." It is easy drinking and goes down quickly. Not much aftertaste beyond the semi-sweet lingering bubblegum.

The beer has a decent body, not thin.

Overall, I am disappointed. Thoroughly mediocre. Can stamped with a best by date of 9/24/21. If Sixpoint uses a 6 month BB time, that makes this beer 3 months old. It shouldn't be suffering too much from age. Anyway, not impressed.

L: 4.25 | S: 3.75 | T: 3.25 | F: 3.5 | O: 3.5 | Rating: 3.51

 

Ambler Beer Company North Wales Pale Ale - trying a new to me local again and this one delivers if you're into this sort of thing: pours hazy with a generous head, lacing lasts throughout. Nose has that odd Citra smell but definitely some other things going on here. Taste is hoppy and a bit dry, the Cascade really comes through at the end and definitely some pine going on. A decent beer but not something I would want to drink often and for reference I just cracked a Dogfish Head Hazy-O and I prefer this taste profile to the Pale Ale.

The stats:

ABV 5.4%
An American Pale Ale that is light straw in color with a rich foam. Made with a generous amount of Amarillo, Cascade and Citra hops, this beer has flavors of fresh squeezed grapefruit, oranges and herbal notes of pine.

https://amblerbeerco.com/tap-list/

..

 

Now, a can of E9 (Enginehouse 9. Why, when they opened a production brewery they went this way, 2 breweries 2 names, confounds the fuck out of me....) Harmonique, a pretty nice Helles. Whatever they're being called, they make very nice beer.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/55061/537499/

 

This is courtesy of @WunderLlama in NBW BIF #13, aka “The BIFfer that won’t end.” I am so humbled he sent this my way - what a magnificent beer nerd friend he is.





4.42/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nicely hazy golden color (not NEIPA hazy, hop hazy) with a creamy white head that positively clings to the glass as you work your way through this gorgeous beer. The nose has dank citrus up front, some bitter pine notes, and a subtle sweet malt aroma.

The taste is dank ripe oranges and mango up front, and there’s a decadent resiny pine flavor for bitterness, but I really appreciate the berry and sweet malt flavors. There’s a lot going on here, yet the balance is quintessentially MBC, something I’ve found in all their beers - they brew extremely drinkable and exceptionally flavorful beers.

The mouthfeel is full and a bit oily, fitting this beer and the flavor profile. It’s not quite Dinner (what is, IMHO), but it’s a close neighbor. Exceptionally well done.

 

Nine by Tree House

4.5/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5


16 ounce can poured into a treehouse teku glass. Canned June 10, opened June 20th

“Cheers to nine more years”


Can notes: Nine years of hard work.

Nine years of refinement.

Nine years of the perpetual struggle to get it right.

Tree House has outwardly evolved in the last nine years, but our spirit remains entirely unchanged - we are a small team that desires to bring you the best-tasting beverages in the most comfortable and jovial environment possible.

We will never relent from the earnest endeavor to improve each day. Your support affords us that privilege, and we are genuinely grateful for that.

Thank You.”



Appearance
Hazy orange juice liquid crowned by a three finger for me off-white from Kp, good retention spotty Lacings settles to a ring and island

Aroma
Aroma is orange citrus, hint of mango

Taste
Taste is mango, orange citrus

Mouthfeel
Creamy smooth mouthfeel ,medium sudsing, gentle hop nibble on the finish

Good beer

 

Poured into a 16 oz Nordic pint glass not sure when it was canned. Pours a hazy yellow orange with a finger plus sticky white head that leaves a wall of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma mandarin, pineapple, passionfruit, mango, and apricot. 4.25

Taste follows mandarin, pineapple, passionfruit, mango, apricot, and a little grapefruit in the finish. 4.25

Mouthfeel is above average, maybe a tad sticky but not dry, fairly soft carbonation, and at 8% big on flavor but easy going down. 4.25

Overall I would say this is really good and worth a shot for sure. Well done. 4.25

 

One more new beer for the weekend, New Belgium Dominga. Got this because it was talked about a lot during the Queer Beer Fest. I enjoy this, but I’m had better mimosa inspired beers.
3.91/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz can poured into a tulip

A- A slightly hazy golden straw with a small white head.

S- Tart, tangerines, oranges, hints of oak, slightly sweet.

T- Tart, tangerines, wheat, oranges, a little sweet, touch of oak.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- Smell is very much mimosa inspired but taste falls short of the nose, still a nice beer.

Cheers NBW, stay safe!

 

Back with the rare (for me) Triple Lindy with another beer outside my normal comfort zone. Another random buy, brewery I know but don't see in these heah pants...



Austin Street Bombtrack, described as follows:

Double IPA brewed with Norwegian Kveik yeast and 100% Simcoe hops using a mixture of cryo and traditional. Intense flavors of Cara Cara Orange and Stone Fruit lead to a lush and silky mouthfeel that pairs perfectly with the acidity of the yeast.

And I must say, the beer nails those characteristics. Super yeast, technohops, tradition all mixed together. This is a flavorful, fun, well made beer.

Pours cloudy orange with that white fluffy head that lasted half the glass, never vanished, tenacious cling. Not a total murk bomb, actually pretty pleasant.

I get tropical on the nose, a lot of orange, truthiness and earthy tone, and some weed.

The taste sneaks up. Sweet, orange, tropical, grapefruit eventually rules the roost, a little bitter builds, and dank. It gets a little spicy, and there is a definite doughy bread kind of background flavor. The sweetness holds up, but doesn't dominate.

The feel is outstanding. Silky smooth, kinda creamy, but nicely carbonated so stays a bit perky. A bit dry, nice citrus carryover.

I am going to say this bear highlights the yeast, with hops providing ample support. Dangerously drinkable 8.5%, but I think more than one or Two would be too juicy, maybe cloying. Diggin' it, kids. Be around a 4.0 - 4.2 when its official.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass not sure when it was canned. Pours a very dark near pitch black with a finger light brown head that leaves thin streaks of lace with solid retention. 4.25

Aroma cocoa nibs, graham cracker, marshmallow, toffee, and caramel. 4.25

Taste follows chocolate, graham cracker, marshmallow, toffee, and caramel exactly what you would expect. 4.25

Mouthfeel is medium, a tad dry, gentle carbonation, and at 8% it is easy drinking. 4

Overall this is exactly what I signed up for, wish it was a little thicker in body, but all and all a very solid stout. 4.25

 

Sierra Nevada Summer Break Session Hazy IPA, 4.6% ABV; 4.2 overall

Pours a slightly hazed & effervescent straw color with 2 fingers of pearl colored head. Very good head retention & lacing

S: Some tropical notes, strawberry
T: Passion fruit, mango, much dryness, lime & peach up front. Green melon, peaches, guava as this warms. Finishes a little dry with green melon, strawberry & guava, a little cantaloupe as well

MF: Light/medium body, fairly firm carbonation & super balance

This packs a ton of flavor into a session IPA, a rare feat IMHO, great drinkability, Vastly exceeded my expectations

 

My God, I've had such a fine day as a newly minted 70 year old. My son and daughter came and stayed around for a good while, complete with great pastrami and Swiss sandwiches, wide ranging memories and just really a perfect day. I am a lucky dad and very, very proud.
This is like the old days. I just had a NB Fat Tire that was in the fridge and I am happy. We had five dogs in the house and we all behaved well!

 

My final beer for today is one I originally intended to have yesterday.



Hazy golden bronze, ample carbonation, topped by a thick white head with very good retention. My pour was probably too gentle, resulting in a somewhat short head for the style, but it is making up for that by hanging around forever.

Banana and fruity esters are at the front of the aroma, fresh bread, and spice.

The taste is floral banana, spice, and bread, with an element of crispness as well. The date code shows (I think) a bottling date of August 25, 2020, so this beer does have some age on it. The aroma is still strong, which does its part to enhance the flavors. The banana, spice, and bready malts are all there, and taste quite good, but just a bit muted.

Moderate body, nice tingling from the carbonation.

Overall, the beer is less impressive than I was hoping. It is still very good, but perhaps at 10 months it has lost some of its "world class" chops.

L: 4.0 | S: 4.0 | T: 3.75 | F: 3.75 | O: 3.75 | Rating: 3.83

 

Prison City Brewery Wham Above Wham Below Coffee Stout, 10% ABV; 4.4 overall

Pours an effervescent chestnut tinged mahogany with a finger of rapidly falling Mocha colored head,
you can hear the bubble dissipate. Viscous, nohead retention or lacing

S: Maple candy, vanilla, faint coffee notes

T: Follows the nose dryness, a little booze kiss & a few woody notes up front. More maple syrup sweetness, a little cinnamon, dryness & coffee as this warms, some booze warmth. Finishes dry with a little booze warmth, plenty of maple candy & some vanilla & a kiss of coffee

MF: Fairly thick body & restrained carbonation, warming

Another lovely Breakfast/Dessert Imp Stout from New York. Great drinkability for what it is

Cheers @micada

 

Well, it's been a busy weekend. I've had a bunch of new beers this weekend (several barleywines yesterday with my friend, several sours today with my in-laws), but this is the first one I've focused on, and it will be my last beer of the weekend.

It's Fort George's 2021 3-Way IPA, a hazy IPA made in collaboration with Varietal and Moonraker.

16oz can served in a big snifter. Bought it yesterday at Chuck's Hop Shop. Dated 06/01/21.

Pours a hazy pale whitish-yellow with a medium sized head. Smell is mild tropical fruit, lots of citrus pith.

Taste is similar, with a strong resinous bite to it, nice bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is medium, resin sting to it. Overall, very nice beer.

 

My partner and I are on our way back from a week spent backpacking in Yosemite, so I figured this brew would be apropos.

Mammoth Brewing Company - Yosemite Pale Ale



So, we did not get a shot QUITE like the label here (I mean, I'm not really sure you could... the mosquitoes would eat you alive with the tent door left open like that! Plus, I don't think there's any camping in the meadows there anyway). We did get some pretty good ones, though (pictures AND mosquito bites!)



Bottom line is that this reminds me of an old school APA that borders on IPA territory. The pour isn't as clear as that era would prefer: it's not hazy at all by modern standards, but it's not totally clear, for sure. It is capped with a big rocky head, which seems super appropriate given the subject matter. Lingers wonderfully, and leaves great tufts of lacing as the liquid disappears.

The nose is primarily a sweet hop melange: some floral, some grassy, a touch of honey, and some almost dusty yeast character.

Flavour skips a lot of that window dressing presented for the olfactory faction. Hints of that sweetness up front quickly give way to some classic C-hop bitterness that carries through to the finish. All built upon a firm malt floor.

I'm sure a lot of it is circumstance etc, but this is really hitting the spot at the moment.

Cheers all y'all and happy fathers day to those for whom it applies!!

 

Camping there in the flattish lands back in the early 70s, with people from everywhere was as much fun as I've ever had. That beer sounds great. It is an astounding place. Saving Yosemite was beautiful foresight so long ago Go TR!.